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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. press — to push
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — to fit

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