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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. court — for sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. pit — in a race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of a king
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — newspapers
  21. court — of law
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ground — the earth

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