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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.

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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chest — a box
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — to push
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — letters
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — magic
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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