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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — a gift
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — thin
  10. press — to push
  11. key — in music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — of a river
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — the time now

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