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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. object — a thing
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — to push
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — to point toward
  17. tube — a container
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tube — the underground
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. object — to protest
  24. rock — music

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