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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tube — the underground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — of ice

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