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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. land — a country
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. land — ground
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. press — newspapers
  9. present — a gift
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kick — in football
  13. present — there
  14. suit — to fit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stand — to bear
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — to push

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