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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pass — a permit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. firm — a company
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. net — in sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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