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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.

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: stand · wave · tube · patient · mine · press · face · fan

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stand — to bear
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — a publisher
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — to push
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. face — part of the head
  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