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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: nail · key · rash · march · ruler · patient · present · stand

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stand — to bear
  5. present — the time now
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. key — for a lock
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. rash — hasty
  20. march — music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. present — there
  23. rash — a series
  24. stand — for spectators

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