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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. field — farmland
  10. bank — of a river
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — a break
  14. rock — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — a permit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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