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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · row · patient · cue · object · present · fan · pass

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. present — there
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. object — to protest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — a line
  17. object — a thing
  18. cue — a signal
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — to paddle
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — the time now
  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