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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — of water
  5. net — in sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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