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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chest — a box
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mug — to rob
  15. field — farmland
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — a cup
  24. field — for sport

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