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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — in football
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. press — to push
  10. snap — to click
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. press — a publisher
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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