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

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — to come from
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — a law
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — steady
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — government
  18. temple — a place of worship

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