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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — a phone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — the fish
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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