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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spell — letters
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rule — a law
  10. press — to push
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. clip — a video
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wake — a trail
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — magic

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