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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. firm — steady
  3. rule — a law
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — government
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. season — in sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. firm — a company
  16. land — a country
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — to come down

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