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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: lean · patient · safe · bat · rock · press · wound · shower

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bat — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — to wash
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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