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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. game — a match
  10. sharp — clever
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com