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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — after costs
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — for catching
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — a tool

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