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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 124 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — in sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. snap — to click
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — of the year
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stem — of a plant

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