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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: patient · rest · straw · nail · leaves · pass · race · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — the arms race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. race — a contest
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. leaves — to go away

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