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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: press · kick · clip · stick · patient · hand · rush · face

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. clip — for paper
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kick — in football
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — newspapers
  11. clip — a video
  12. rush — hurry
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. press — a publisher
  19. clip — to cut
  20. face — to confront
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — in cards
  24. press — to push

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