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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. present — there
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to tire
  9. press — a publisher
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. present — the time now
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. present — a gift

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