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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · fine · present · patient · press · race · branch · fan

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — all right
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — humankind
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — there
  11. fine — high quality
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — a gift
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. race — the arms race
  20. object — an aim
  21. press — to push
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — a supporter

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