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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a partner
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — there
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — a face
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. track — a song
  14. present — a gift
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — to breed
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. present — the time now

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