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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rule — a law
  11. press — newspapers
  12. clip — a video
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — government

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