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

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — an illness
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. press — a publisher
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fork — in a road
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cold — not warm

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