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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — to crush
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — a law
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — to handle
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — government

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