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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a face
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — clever
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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