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

Word bank: patient · can · mate · fork · rash · chest · pass · perch

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — a series

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