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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: ruler · staff · patient · tear · last · press · board · lie

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. staff — a stick
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — final
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. board — a committee
  15. tear — to rip
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — to get on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — employees
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — to recline
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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