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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rush · tear · degree · cap · press · patient · wake

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — temperature
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fine — all right
  24. tear — from crying

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