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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. file — a document
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. march — music
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — to bear
  24. branch — of a bank

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