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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: can · rock · press · fine · patient · trunk · hand · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — help
  9. fine — all right
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — a stone
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. roll — on a roll

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