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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: snap · patient · trunk · ruler · fall · ball · mug · press

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. press — to push
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — to rob

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