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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: rush · patient · jam · fall · ruler · nail · mug · press

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. press — to push
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — to rob
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — a publisher
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fall — the season

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