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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: stand · shower · scale · patient · press · nail · cell · straw

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. shower — rain
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. shower — to wash
  19. press — newspapers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cell — a phone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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