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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — the time now
  3. squash — to crush
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — there
  10. root — of a word
  11. squash — the sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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