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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — a law
  5. march — music
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. present — there
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — a gift
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rule — government
  16. race — a contest
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. plane — a tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. march — the month

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