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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. game — a match
  7. press — newspapers
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. present — there
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. present — the time now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. press — to push
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — wild animals

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