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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — to recline
  3. date — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — to tire
  17. clip — a video
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. press — to push
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — a sick person

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