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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pass — a permit
  3. band — a music group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — help
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rock — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. band — a ring

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