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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — to push
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — in music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. content — the amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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