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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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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: wake · perch · snap · patient · temple · game · bear · pitch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — the fish
  13. game — a match
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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