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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — in cards
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tube — the underground
  19. capital — a city
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — help
  24. capital — a big letter

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