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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. press — to push
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. cue — a signal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pit — in a race
  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