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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — rain
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. shower — to wash
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — for catching
  15. fine — high quality
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — there
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — in a road

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