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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tear — to rip
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. clip — a video

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