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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · spring · hand · mug · bowl · key · patient · perch

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — in music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mug — a face
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a cup
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — help
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — a dish

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