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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. suit — clothes
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bark — to shout
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pass — a permit
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — army training
  19. fall — the season
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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