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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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468
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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 ________________ the button?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kick — in football
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — child
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. staff — a stick
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — a publisher
  24. court — of a king

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