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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 120 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: branch · ball · cap · bear · fan · nail · patient · press

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cap — a hat
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — a division
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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