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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 120 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: fine · patient · key · press · rest · stand · spring · stick

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — a coil
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spring — of water
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. key — the most important part
  24. patient — a sick person

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