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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wake — a trail
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. bank — of a river

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