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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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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: tear · ruler · trunk · press · patient · foot · present · charge

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — a measure
  16. press — to push
  17. present — the time now
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. press — a publisher
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tear — to rip
  24. present — there

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