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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. present — the time now
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — a gift
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — a country
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — to come down
  23. present — there
  24. pass — to spend time

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