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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: file · mine · cell · bat · press · suit · patient · net

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mine — for digging
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — to fit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — in biology
  11. file — a document
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. file — a tool
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bat — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. press — to push
  21. suit — clothes
  22. net — for catching
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cell — in a prison

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