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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pop — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. game — a match
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pop — soda
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pound — a weight

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