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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: press · pop · wind · patient · board · rush · jam · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. board — to get on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — for a lock
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — to push
  20. pop — music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — the most important part
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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