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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.

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: leaves · patient · march · squash · hide · rash · press · mouse

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. press — a publisher
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — a series
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — to crush
  24. leaves — to go away

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