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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rest — a break
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. drill — army training
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  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