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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — to trim

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