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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 116 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: race · kick · fine · patient · ball · wave · perch · spell

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. race — a contest
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fine — high quality
  16. kick — in football
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fine — all right
  19. spell — letters
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. ball — a great time
  24. perch — for a bird

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