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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — to come down
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — a country
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a city
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — a monarch

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