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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a ring
  21. press — a publisher
  22. band — a music group
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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