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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — to get on
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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