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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 124 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a ring
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. band — a music group
  16. foot — a measure
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mate — to breed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — in sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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