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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. press — to push
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stock — goods
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — a law
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — with your hand

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