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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: firm · deal · patient · perch · wound · row · lie · cap

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — steady
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. row — a line
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — of ice
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. row — to paddle
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cap — a hat

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