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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — government
  4. track — a song
  5. march — the month
  6. board — to get on
  7. march — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — a law
  10. press — newspapers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. cell — a phone
  20. track — a path
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. press — to push
  24. cell — in biology

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