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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: toast · plane · patient · press · race · straw · can · mark

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. race — humankind
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. press — to push
  16. can — to be able to
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. race — a contest
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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