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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.

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: leaves · snap · press · patient · cap · net · bay · bass

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — a lid
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cap — a hat
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — the fish
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. snap — to click
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — low music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — for catching
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. net — in sport

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