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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. object — to protest
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — a permit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — a gift
  12. mine — for digging
  13. object — an aim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — the time now
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — there
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tube — the underground

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