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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. patient — a sick person
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — a trace
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — a trail
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — of the year
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. season — to add flavour
  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