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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. drill — army training
  7. chest — of your body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — a box
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ball — a dance

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