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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. net — after costs
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — to shout
  9. snap — to click
  10. track — a path
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — to keep track
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — a strongbox
  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