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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rock — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — government
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — a law
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rock — a stone

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