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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 120 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: press · patient · mouse · tear · court · dip · rest · bore

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — a publisher
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. press — to push
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. court — of a king
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. court — of law
  24. mouse — the animal

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