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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rule — government
  3. hand — help
  4. press — to push
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. row — a line
  18. rule — a law
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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