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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — a thing
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — letters
  7. press — a publisher
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rash — hasty
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — to protest
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — there
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — a gift

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