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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. roll — a list
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. press — newspapers
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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