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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · suit · spell · land · vault · degree · patient · press

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. land — ground
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. degree — temperature
  11. spell — magic
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — a short time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — a publisher
  21. degree — an amount
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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