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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 120 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: rush · cabinet · cap · press · patient · mouse · last · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — final
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. last — to go on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — finally

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