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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. last — final
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cue — a signal
  7. drill — army training
  8. wind — moving air
  9. last — to go on
  10. drill — a practice
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — for pool
  17. press — to push
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. drill — the tool
  22. clip — a video
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wind — to turn a key

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