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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rule — government
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stem — to come from
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — a law
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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