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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — to push
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — in football
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — to protest
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. object — an aim
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. patient — a sick person

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