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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: pass · suit · spell · saw · patient · rush · fork · straw

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — to fit
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — in a road
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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