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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — a division
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — the cause
  15. cell — a phone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. root — of a plant
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — happening now
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — in biology
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — of water

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