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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · snap · racket · patient · mate · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — to breed
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — to push
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher

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