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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. present — there
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. can — a tin

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