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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. spell — letters
  8. press — newspapers
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. press — to push
  17. chair — a leader
  18. march — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. snap — to click

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