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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — help
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. face — part of the head
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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