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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. press — newspapers
  3. last — final
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. march — music
  10. face — to confront
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. last — to go on
  14. march — the month
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — part of the head
  17. last — finally
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — a law
  23. press — a publisher
  24. face — to point toward

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