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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: saw · patient · present · row · perch · lash · foot · toast

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — there
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — the time now
  16. toast — bread
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — a gift
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. row — a quarrel

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