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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: patient · present · press · squash · rest · wake

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — to push
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rest — what's left

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