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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rest — a break
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. clip — a video
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a face

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