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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: pit · chip · bear · rush · spring · press · lean · patient

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. press — to push
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to bend

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