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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — to push
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. object — a thing
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — a break
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — a publisher
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — to tire
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — to drill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — gave birth

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