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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.

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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to confront
  20. clip — for paper
  21. face — part of the head
  22. clip — a video
  23. face — to point toward
  24. sharp — with an edge

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