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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. content — the amount
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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