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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — to push
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chest — of your body
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — a publisher
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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