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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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