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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · lash · nail · patient · bark · firm · squash · press

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bark — to shout
  3. field — a subject
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. firm — steady
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. press — a publisher
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. press — to push
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. field — farmland

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