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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rash · season · spring · kid · wound · firm · patient · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — in sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kid — to tease
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spring — a coil
  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