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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 120 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 · bark · field · object · shower · press · face · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — to protest
  6. spell — a short time
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — farmland
  12. object — a thing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — to shout
  18. field — for sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — to confront
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — to push
  24. face — part of the head

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