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

Word bank: march · sharp · press · face · ruler · key · chest · bay

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. march — the month
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to point toward
  14. press — a publisher
  15. key — in music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chest — of your body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chest — a box
  24. march — music

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