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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: chip · snap · scale · perch · temple · kick · patient · foot

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — to eat
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. scale — size or range
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. kick — in football
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to click
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — a measure
  24. perch — the fish

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