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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: foot · ball · stick · patient · hand · press · band · mate

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mate — a friend
  13. press — newspapers
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. band — a music group
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a rubber band

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