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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — a city
  8. stand — to bear
  9. press — newspapers
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — a partner
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. face — part of the head
  18. capital — money
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. season — in sport
  22. squash — the sport
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stand — on your feet

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