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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. court — of a king
  8. drill — the tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — to protest
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — to push
  14. mark — a trace
  15. last — final
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. last — finally
  19. court — of law
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rule — government
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rule — a law
  24. drill — a practice

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