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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. ground — a position
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — of water
  13. field — farmland
  14. current — happening now
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. field — for sport

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