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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. charge — in control
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — a price
  22. press — to push
  23. cap — a lid
  24. charge — electricity

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