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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: lie · press · board · pit · cap · patient · craft · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a committee
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — of ice
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cap — a lid
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — a hole
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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