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

Word bank: chair · patient · rule · nail · lash · press

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. press — newspapers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — to push
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chair — a leader
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rule — a law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rule — government

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