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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — of ice
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — a hat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — newspapers
  11. march — music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — the earth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a lid
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — a trainer

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