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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. club — for golf
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. capital — a city
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — letters

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