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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — to push
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mine — for digging

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