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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. march — the month
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — music
  24. mug — to rob

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