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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — thin
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — to tease
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. current — electric
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. kid — child
  23. ball — a great time
  24. press — to push

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