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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: mate · rest · present · trunk · can · patient · perch · spell

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. mate — to breed
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. present — there
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. mate — a friend
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — a short time
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — letters
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — a sick person

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