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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a plant
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — government
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rule — a law
  17. content — happy
  18. press — a publisher
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. saw — the tool

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