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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: patient · fine · hand · bank · press · saw · pound · rule

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. press — to push
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — of a river

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