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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 120 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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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: kick · patient · snap · trunk · perch · present · stand · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. present — a gift
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. present — the time now
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. perch — the fish
  24. patient — a sick person

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