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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fine — all right
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — ground
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — to come down
  16. rest — a break
  17. fine — high quality
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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