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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. press — to push
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mine — for digging
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — newspapers
  24. deal — an agreement

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