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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — a monarch

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