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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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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 · bark · press · stand · bat · face · prune · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bark — to shout
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. press — to push
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — to confront
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — to breed
  24. press — a publisher

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