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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — a position
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — to push
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lie — to recline
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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