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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: arm · present · bay · roll · press · cap · patient · staff

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. staff — employees
  3. press — newspapers
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. staff — a stick
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. present — a gift
  13. cap — of ice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. present — there
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. present — the time now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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