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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — hurry
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mate — to breed
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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