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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a path
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — to push
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a grade

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