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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — newspapers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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