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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · straw · patient · pass · rule · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rule — a law
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — a hole
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — government
  18. can — a tin

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