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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — a container
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rule — a law
  13. board — a committee
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — a trail

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