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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rule — government
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — the tool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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