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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · lash · staff · fan · press · pit · mouse · patient

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. patient — a sick person

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