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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — the fish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spring — the season
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. hand — in cards
  20. spring — of water
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — a coil
  24. patient — a sick person

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