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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. press — to push
  8. spell — letters
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — a law
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. game — a match

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