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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 116 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: pit · object · cell · wind · rule · patient · bore · pass

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — a thing
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — in a race
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. object — an aim
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rule — a law
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. object — to protest
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — government
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cell — a phone

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