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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: kick · bound · cold · patient · scale · file · fine · press

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bound — certain
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kick — in football
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. press — to push
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a line of people
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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