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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · pass · cold · trunk · season · patient · perch · pit

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spell — magic
  9. perch — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — a hole
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. season — of the year
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — in sport
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — in a race

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