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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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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. press — a publisher
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kid — child
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ball — a dance
  23. march — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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