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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.

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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. press — to push
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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