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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · temple · press · march · patient · mine

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — government
  7. press — to push
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — a publisher
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rule — a law
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — for digging
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — belonging to me

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