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

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a path
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a hole
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. date — the fruit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — the fish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. track — a song

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