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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: bass · branch · sharp · fork · face · patient · press · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. press — to push
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — to point toward
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to confront
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — clever
  11. press — newspapers
  12. face — part of the head
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. branch — a division
  16. press — a publisher
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — low music
  24. fork — to eat with

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