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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 116 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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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: press · last · cell · swing · deal · kick · stand · patient

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — in biology
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cell — a phone
  7. last — final
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — to play on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. last — finally
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — to handle
  21. kick — in football
  22. last — to go on
  23. swing — in golf
  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