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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hand — in cards
  5. dip — to sink
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hand — help
  13. scale — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — a publisher
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pass — a permit
  24. dip — a sauce

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