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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: safe · chair · shower · stick · patient · racket · perch · kick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. perch — the fish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — a leader
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — to sit on
  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