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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rule — to rule out

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