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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — government
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rule — a law
  24. cabinet — ministers

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