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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. file — a document
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — for money
  13. cold — an illness
  14. file — a line of people
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — in football
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. staff — a stick
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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