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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: object · deal · patient · ruler · press · face

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. face — to point toward
  5. press — a publisher
  6. face — part of the head
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — to confront
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim

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