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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.

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: press · mark · bowl · leaves · cue · last · jam · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — a trace
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. press — to push
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — a hint
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — to go on
  15. cue — for pool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. last — final
  18. cue — a signal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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