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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — the season
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — to handle
  22. foot — a measure
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — part of the body

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