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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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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: present · bay · patient · clip · rock · press · spring · cue

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cue — a signal
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — there
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — to push
  17. spring — the season
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — newspapers
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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