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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. press — newspapers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rule — government
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — a law
  24. racket — for tennis

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