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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. press — to push
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — a list
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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