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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 120 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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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: patient · perch · rule · press · wake · squash · firm · lie

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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. wake — a trail
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — newspapers
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — a law
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rule — government
  15. press — a publisher
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — steady
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. press — to push

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