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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — electric
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. land — to come down
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cold — not warm
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. land — ground
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. current — of water
  24. mate — to breed

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