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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 116 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
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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: hand · patient · mug · press · lean · plane · tube · net

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — a tool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mug — a face
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — after costs
  24. mug — a cup

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