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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — to push
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. press — a publisher
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bass — low music
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — to drill
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — a list
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. object — to protest

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