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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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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: tear · pass · patient · pitcher · ruler · perch · face · ground

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tear — to rip
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — a position
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — crushed

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