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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a great time
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — humankind
  8. branch — a division
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — after costs
  11. shower — rain
  12. perch — the fish
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. net — in sport
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — to wash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ball — a dance
  22. net — for catching
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — a permit

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