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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.

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: pass · face · squash · bat · mark · patient · bound · arm

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bat — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bound — tied together
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bound — certain

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