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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. face — part of the head
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. face — to confront
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. prune — to trim

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