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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — in a road
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — to push
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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