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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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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: bat · patient · press · rest · calf · stem · file · rule

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. press — to push
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. press — a publisher

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