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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: snap · pop · wound · press · patient · dip · rock · club

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. press — to push
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — a group
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pop — to visit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. snap — to click
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wound — an injury

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