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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.

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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: wound · present · patient · race · mate · can · rush · pass

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — there
  6. race — humankind
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — the time now
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — a gift
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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