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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. last — to go on
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rest — what's left
  10. degree — temperature
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — of water
  16. press — to push
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — finally
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — from a university
  24. last — final

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