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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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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: pass · press · drill · mate · rest · firm · mouse · patient

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — steady
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — a practice
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. drill — army training

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