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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: mine · pass · wake · snap · pop · patient · season · calf

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pop — music
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — in sport
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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