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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: press · cold · cue · deal · patient · sharp · firm · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. cue — a signal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cue — a hint
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — not warm
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — for pool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cold — an illness
  23. press — a publisher
  24. sharp — exactly

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