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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: patient · fall · season · hide · press · cap · chip · club

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — of the year
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. club — a group
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cap — a lid
  19. press — to push
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — a hat
  23. club — for golf
  24. hide — animal skin

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