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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: row · net · pass · squash · rest · patient · pop · dip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. dip — to sink
  12. net — for catching
  13. row — a line
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rest — a break
  16. net — in sport
  17. pop — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. dip — a sauce

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