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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: bat · ball · wave · patient · deal · press · temple · content

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — happy
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. content — the amount
  24. press — newspapers

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