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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — a gift
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. field — farmland
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — the time now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — a subject
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — there
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. patient — a sick person

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