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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: pass · drill · mate · rush · fall · patient · key · press

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. key — for a lock
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — in music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — a practice
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pass — to succeed

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