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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. press — to push
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. last — final
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. last — to go on
  15. snap — to click
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitch — completely

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