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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kid — child
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. branch — a division
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rule — government
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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