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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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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: mouse · press · foot · cabinet · nail · patient · fall · kid

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. press — to push
  24. foot — the bottom

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