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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — a permit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rest — a break
  15. season — of the year
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — in sport
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — a thrill

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