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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — a permit
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to click
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — 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