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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. row — a line
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rule — government
  10. row — to paddle
  11. staff — a stick
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. present — the time now
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — there
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — to recline

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