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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 · row · toast · patient · file · object · nail · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a line of people
  3. object — an aim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. object — a thing
  12. file — a tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pass — a permit
  15. land — a country
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. toast — bread
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — to protest
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — to come down

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