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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · hand · mouse · patient · bear · kid · racket · press

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kid — child
  13. press — to push
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hand — help
  18. press — a publisher
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — part of the body

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