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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — of the year
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — in sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. patient — a sick person

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