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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — a trace
  5. file — a tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rule — government
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a document
  17. chest — a box
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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