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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — to push
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitch — completely
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — a song
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — a publisher
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — to keep secret

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