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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · firm · leaves · bark · hand · bore · press · cell

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — to drill
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hand — help
  10. firm — steady
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cell — in biology

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