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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. press — a publisher
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spell — letters
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — government
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. last — final
  22. rule — a law
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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