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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. press — newspapers
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. current — happening now
  8. bark — to shout
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — to visit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — soda
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hand — help
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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