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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cell — a phone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. row — a line
  13. lean — to bend
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lean — thin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. key — the most important part
  24. press — to push

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