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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. suit — to fit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — clothes
  12. club — for golf
  13. press — a publisher
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. club — a group
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — a practice
  19. club — for dancing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. press — to push
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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