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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: shower · pass · object · game · bay · patient · rock · rest

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. object — an aim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — a match
  20. object — a thing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rest — a break
  23. shower — rain
  24. patient — a sick person

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