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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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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: lean · track · chair · patient · shower · stick · cabinet · pass

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. track — a path
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. track — a song

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