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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — a publisher
  8. land — ground
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. land — to come down
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cap — a lid

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