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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.

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: patient · ground · press · mouse · coach · lean · foot · snap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. press — to push
  3. ground — crushed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — a measure
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. press — a publisher
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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