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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rule — government
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rule — a law
  13. fine — high quality
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — a video
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. clip — for paper

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