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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — a publisher

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