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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: straw · pop · pass · patient · snap · can · mine · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — a break
  8. pop — soda
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. snap — to click
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. 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