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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rule — a law
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — a publisher
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — decided
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. press — to push
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pound — a weight
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — government

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