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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cell — in biology
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — a permit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mug — a cup
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. suit — to fit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — in cards
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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