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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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