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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bank — of a river
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — rain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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