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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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 — to rule out
  2. race — a contest
  3. press — to push
  4. race — the arms race
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — newspapers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. drill — a practice
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — of a plant
  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