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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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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: perch · plane · hand · season · patient · bear · sharp · roll

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. roll — a list
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — of the year
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hand — in cards
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hand — help

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