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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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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: patient · drill · tube · press · scale · toast · pound · lie

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — the underground
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. scale — in music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — army training
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tube — a container
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — bread
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lie — an untruth

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