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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. present — there
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — government
  12. suit — clothes
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — a stick
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — help
  24. suit — in cards

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