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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mug — a face
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — part of the head
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitch — completely
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. race — humankind
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — a contest
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mug — a cup

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