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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. land — to come down
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — of the year
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — in sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. land — a country
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — to rob
  22. land — ground
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. season — to add flavour

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