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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a ring
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — a container
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. band — a music group
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — of a tree

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