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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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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: perch · patient · land · sharp · pitcher · face · trunk · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. land — a country
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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