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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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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 · dip · wave · deal · root · cell · chair · patient

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. root — of a word
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — to push
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a leader
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cell — in biology
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — the cause
  23. dip — to sink
  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