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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wake — a trail
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. squash — the sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — a sick person

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