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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · mate · craft · press · march · date

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. march — the month
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — boats
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend

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