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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: rule · season · wound · press · bark · patient · spring · rush

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. season — of the year
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — to push
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — in sport
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rush — hurry

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