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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: wake · saw · bat · press · temple · patient · spring · drill

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. drill — army training
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. drill — a practice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spring — the season
  14. press — a publisher
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — a trail
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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