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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hand — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spell — magic
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. perch — for a bird

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