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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — there
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bark — to shout
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bark — of a tree

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