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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — a position
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pass — to spend time

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