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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — to push
  5. game — wild animals
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — humankind
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a dance
  20. race — a contest
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. game — a match
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cabinet — ministers

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