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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. game — wild animals
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — a match
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. swing — music
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. swing — in golf
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. rash — a series
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pass — a permit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — to come from
  24. current — of water

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