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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · shower · perch · lie · patient · content · staff · track

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a path
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — the amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. perch — the fish
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. content — happy
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. staff — employees

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