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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: rush · foot · bore · wind · patient · press · craft · mate

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — a skill
  6. press — to push
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rush — hurry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. craft — boats
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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