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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a cup
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mug — a face
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — a tool

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