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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.

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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. plane — a tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bound — tied together
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — certain
  11. press — newspapers
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — obliged
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. net — in sport
  23. press — to push
  24. rush — to hurry

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