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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — a friend
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rest — a break
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — of water
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — a law
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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