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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. press — to push
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fine — all right
  7. staff — a stick
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rule — a law
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spring — the season
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — employees
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rule — government
  24. cell — in biology

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