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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. branch — a division
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. foot — a measure
  22. press — to push
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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