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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: season · scale · hand · staff · pound · press · patient · temple

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — help
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — size or range
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — in cards
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — in music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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