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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · game · fan · patient · press · race · date · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — humankind
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — newspapers
  9. race — the arms race
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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