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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 116 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: stick · clip · lean · patient · pass · rash · bore · swing

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lean — thin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. pass — to spend time

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