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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — an aim
  3. fine — high quality
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — a thing
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — all right
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chest — a box
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. spell — letters
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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