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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — music
  4. row — a line
  5. rock — a stone
  6. press — to push
  7. current — of water
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tube — the underground
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — electric
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — a container
  24. row — a quarrel

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