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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. clip — for paper
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — a trail
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — a video
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. press — to push
  22. chip — for betting
  23. press — a publisher
  24. perch — for a bird

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