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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pass — to spend time

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