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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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468
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — a break
  3. mate — a partner
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mate — to breed
  10. press — to push
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — a publisher
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — a friend
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a line

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