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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — a permit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. capital — a city
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pass — to succeed

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