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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 120 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: suit · patient · bay · face · wind · pitch · press · cold

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. press — to push
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — a publisher
  17. suit — clothes
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — to turn a key

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