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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: press · patient · plane · cap · rock · hand · drill · board

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. drill — a practice
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. press — to push
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — of ice

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