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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — to push
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — a short time
  11. object — a thing
  12. cold — an illness
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — an aim
  15. hand — help
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — in cards
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cold — not warm

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