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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — to push
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. current — happening now
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. press — newspapers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — of water
  24. rule — government

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