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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — to come from
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — a break
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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