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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hand — in cards
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — help
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. deal — an agreement

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