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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · kick · patient · spring · lie · season · stand · present

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — in football
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — in sport
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — of the year
  24. stand — to bear

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