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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — ground
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — to push
  7. mate — a partner
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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