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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — to cut
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cold — not warm
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — a video
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pass — a permit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — a division
  24. clip — for paper

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