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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a path
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — a permit
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — a tool
  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