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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lean — to bend
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — a jug

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