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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
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 · plane · march · deal · patient · wave · band · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. press — to push
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — to handle
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. march — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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