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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pitch — completely
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wave — with your hand

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