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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — thin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — a position
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tear — to rip

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