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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: object · rash · patient · ground · wake · ball · toast · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — a position
  20. object — to protest
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. object — a thing

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