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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: bay · sharp · game · face · patient · bore · dip · press

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — clever
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to point toward
  5. press — newspapers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a match
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to drill
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — exactly

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