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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 120 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 father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — a hole
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — to protest
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — in a road
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. rush — hurry

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