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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. net — for catching
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — a group
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. press — to push
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. kid — child
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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