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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — a position
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  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