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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lean — to bend
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — a subject
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — thin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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