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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. season — of the year
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — in sport

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