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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 116 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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rule — government
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rule — a law
  12. press — newspapers
  13. land — to come down
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — a country
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. land — ground
  21. kick — in football
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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