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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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