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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitch — completely
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rule — a law
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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