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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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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a music group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — to bear
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — a publisher
  18. band — a ring
  19. press — newspapers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — a trace
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bat — for baseball

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