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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — a gift
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — in a race
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. degree — temperature

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