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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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Word bank
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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: racket · press · face · present · patient · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — newspapers
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — there
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. press — to push
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. present — a gift
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to point toward

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