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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · prune · swing · perch · arm · rash · patient · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — the fish
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. swing — music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — hasty
  24. perch — for a bird

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