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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. club — a group
  8. object — to protest
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rock — a stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spell — magic
  20. press — to push
  21. spell — letters
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for dancing
  24. branch — a division

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