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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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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: pass · fine · bore · wake · object · patient · tear · stick

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fine — all right

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