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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to bend
  4. press — to push
  5. lean — thin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — happy
  10. bass — low music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bound — certain
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cue — a signal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — the amount
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — a hint

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