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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. race — humankind
  7. spring — a coil
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — to push
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. race — a contest
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rule — government
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lean — to bend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bear — the animal

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