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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — to handle
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cell — a phone
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cell — in biology
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — there
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bore — to drill
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. sharp — clever
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. press — to push
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. patient — a sick person

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