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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: swing · rash · hand · perch · lie · rest · patient · track

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a song
  9. rest — a break
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. perch — the fish
  18. swing — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — a series

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