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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: patient · pitcher · object · rush · fan · press · wind · nail

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — to push
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. object — a thing
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — moving air

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