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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — to push
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. shower — rain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a committee
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. press — newspapers

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