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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fall — the season
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — to drop

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