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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. press — a publisher
  4. object — an aim
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — not warm
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — a match
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — wild animals
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. staff — employees
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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