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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. perch — the fish
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a music group
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — a series
  15. deal — to handle
  16. clip — a video
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — thin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lean — to bend

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