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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
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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: clip · leaves · season · press · can · rush · patient · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — of the year
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. press — a publisher
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — newspapers
  13. roll — a list
  14. season — in sport
  15. clip — to cut
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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