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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: fan · patient · suit · press · safe · bay · wound · pound

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. press — to push
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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