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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 116 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: last · ruler · press · tube · drill · march · rock · squash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. last — finally
  3. press — a publisher
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — a practice
  6. last — to go on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. march — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. press — to push
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. last — final
  17. drill — army training
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. press — newspapers
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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