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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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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: spring · press · current · foot · cap · land · patient · season

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — of the year
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. press — to push
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. land — ground
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — electric
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — of water
  17. season — in sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spring — the season
  22. cap — a hat
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — part of the body

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