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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: suit · trunk · season · perch · straw · degree · charge · patient

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — temperature
  4. charge — a price
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — of the year
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — in control
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. perch — the fish
  20. degree — from a university
  21. suit — clothes
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — to fit

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