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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a document
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. firm — decided
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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