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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: spring · rash · last · ruler · game · pound · staff · press

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. staff — a stick
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — finally
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spring — the season
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — final
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — employees
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — to push
  20. spring — a coil
  21. game — a match
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — of water

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