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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 120 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: calf · pass · fine · patient · season · rush · clip · face

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. clip — for paper
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — hurry
  7. face — to confront
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — a permit
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. clip — a video

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