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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rash — a series
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. present — the time now
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — there
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bat — the animal

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