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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — government
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — to push
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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