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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: present · bat · patient · mate · bulb · pass · leaves · bass

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. present — a gift
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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