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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. press — to push
  8. degree — an amount
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — the fruit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rock — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tear — from crying

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