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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — of the year
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — letters
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — humankind
  18. press — a publisher
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — government
  23. face — to point toward
  24. press — to push

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