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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. band — a music group
  7. lean — thin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. march — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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