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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hand — part of the body

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