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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: press · spell · rush · patient · foot · season · branch · bound

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — to push
  4. spell — letters
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — newspapers
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — magic
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. branch — of a tree
  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