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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · perch · object · root · patient · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — a thing
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a plant
  16. object — an aim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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