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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — music
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — in golf
  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