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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · branch · scale · current · patient · pass · wound · perch

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pass — a permit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. perch — the fish
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cold — an illness
  24. current — of water

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