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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. ground — crushed
  12. perch — the fish
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kid — to tease
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — a position

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