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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — low music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — to push
  24. leaves — of a tree

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