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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — a series
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. press — to push
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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