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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. root — of a word
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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