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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.

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: scale · hand · mug · racket · patient · perch · nail · fall

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — in music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — the season
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — help
  24. nail — for a hammer

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