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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — the tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — government
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — a law
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard

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