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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · march · cell · patient · press · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. march — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — a short time
  7. march — the month
  8. spell — letters
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. press — newspapers
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cell — a phone

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