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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — employees
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — to handle
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — to breed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. staff — a stick
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pass — a permit
  20. band — a music group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — to succeed
  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