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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. present — the time now
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fall — the season
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. present — a gift
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. present — there
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bat — in an idiom

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