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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cell — a phone
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pass — a permit
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend time

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