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

Word bank: clip · stick · patient · jam · press · kick · ruler · mark

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mark — a trace
  15. kick — in football
  16. clip — to cut
  17. press — to push
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. clip — a video
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. clip — for paper

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