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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: nail · cap · snap · leaves · kick · patient · file · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. snap — to click
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — of ice
  9. file — a tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — in football
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cap — a hat
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — on a finger

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