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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — to push
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — a series
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — a publisher
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. rest — what's left
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — a break
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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