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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bat — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. leaves — of a tree

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