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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spell — a short time
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — the fish
  6. press — newspapers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. press — to push
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — magic
  16. land — ground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to succeed

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