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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spell — magic
  4. bass — low music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — newspapers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — a trail
  23. press — to push
  24. wake — before a funeral

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