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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — a company
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — decided
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kick — in football
  23. spring — of water
  24. cold — not warm

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