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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — a permit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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