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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 120 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 · key · squash · kick · patient · bay · march · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — to crush
  11. key — in music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. march — music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. press — to push

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