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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tear — to rip
  13. net — for catching
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — a leader
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mouse — the animal

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