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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: saw · bear · current · press · wound · season · bat · patient

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — electric
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — of water
  23. bat — the animal
  24. season — of the year

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