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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: cap · sharp · rest · pound · patient · bound · squash · press

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — to push
  13. rest — a break
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rest — what's left

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