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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — hasty
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rule — government
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rash — a series
  12. suit — in cards
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. club — for dancing
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. press — to push
  24. suit — clothes

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