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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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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: patient · rule · present · perch · wake · last · face · bulb

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. present — a gift
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. rule — government
  10. present — there
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — a law
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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