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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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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: key · stand · can · perch · swing · cold · lie · patient

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cold — an illness
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. can — a tin

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