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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: wake · content · pop · wound · press · patient · saw · rush

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. content — the amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — to push
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — soda

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