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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kid — child
  7. season — of the year
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. press — a publisher
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — to crush
  24. press — newspapers

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