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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.

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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — a trail
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ruler — for measuring

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