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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lean — to bend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — the earth
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pound — a weight
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — to go on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. last — final

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