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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: patient · wind · press · roll · cap · object · wake · cabinet

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. cap — a hat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — a thing
  13. roll — a list
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

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