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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — a gift
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — the time now
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — there
  12. root — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — the cause
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — for digging
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — in sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — belonging to me

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