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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: stem · mate · press · foot · patient · safe · chest · season

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — a publisher
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chest — of your body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — to push
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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