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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rest — a break
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — of water
  24. patient — a sick person

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