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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: squash · bowl · patient · mouse · face · press · rest · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — a dish

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