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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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. press — to push
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — high quality
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fine — all right
  20. wind — moving air
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — a measure

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