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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
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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: chest · bank · jam · face · patient · track · deal · press

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — a box
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. face — to point toward
  9. press — to push
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. track — a path
  15. bank — of a river
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — a publisher
  22. face — to confront
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — to keep track

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