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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a song
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. track — a path
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. track — to keep track
  22. press — to push
  23. cue — a signal
  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