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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: patient · press · coach · rush · land · squash · bass · band

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — a publisher
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — to push
  7. rush — hurry
  8. land — to come down
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a ring
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a music group
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — low music
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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