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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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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 · patient · nail · branch · sharp · squash · rush · rest

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — a division
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — a break
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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