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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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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ground — crushed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — a position
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — the earth
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stock — goods
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — in football
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — shares
  24. press — to push

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