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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: fan · patient · race · bear · press · cap · suit · rock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — of ice
  5. race — a contest
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  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