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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — goods
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. court — of a king
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — hurry
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stock — shares
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rule — government
  21. face — part of the head
  22. court — for sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — to push

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