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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: calf · press · can · bowl · patient · cap · clip · fan

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — a video
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. press — to push
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. clip — to cut
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — for paper
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — a lid

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