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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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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — steady
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — to push
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — of water
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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