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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. swing — music
  12. cold — an illness
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cold — not warm
  19. press — to push
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. patient — a sick person

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