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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. degree — temperature
  13. file — a document
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — a permit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lean — thin

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