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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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Word bank
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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: hand · patient · press · mate · chip · ruler

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. press — to push
  12. mate — to breed
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — help
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mate — a partner

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