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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — help
  19. current — electric
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  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