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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — in sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — of the year
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  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