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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — a match
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — to push
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. press — newspapers
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a dance

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