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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. land — to come down
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. land — a country
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — in music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. press — to push
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to click
  24. scale — for weighing

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