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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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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: patient · cold · present · net · bear · stick · pass · shower

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cold — not warm
  5. shower — rain
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. net — for catching
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — a permit
  13. present — a gift
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — the animal

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