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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
468
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: leaves · swing · present · mate · lean · pass · pop · patient

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. present — a gift
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — soda
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lean — thin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — in golf
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — the time now
  13. lean — to bend
  14. swing — music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. present — there
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — to breed

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