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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — bread
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — to push
  15. cue — a hint
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — for pool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — a break
  21. pound — a weight
  22. press — a publisher
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. roll — on a roll

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