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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to confront
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. last — to go on
  8. press — newspapers
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. race — a contest
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. press — a publisher
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — finally
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. last — final

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