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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. press — to push
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg

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