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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — a line
  3. present — there
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. present — a gift
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — the time now
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — a publisher

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