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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 116 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: press · stick · ground · rest · mouse · patient · wind · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — the earth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ground — a position
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — letters
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ground — crushed

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