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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: patient · hand · toast · date · lie · press · tube · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. press — a publisher
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hand — help
  12. press — to push
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hand — in cards

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