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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hand — in cards
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hand — help
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mate — to breed

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