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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: lie · perch · bowl · calf · bulb · stick · patient · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — to recline
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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