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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. land — ground
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. shower — rain
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — to come down
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — a country
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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