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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. press — newspapers
  6. march — the month
  7. press — to push
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. suit — in cards
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — ministers

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