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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — to play on
  4. charge — in control
  5. fine — high quality
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. race — a contest
  8. charge — a price
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — in sport
  13. press — to push
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — all right
  18. season — of the year
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. race — the arms race
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — music
  24. wind — moving air

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