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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rule — government
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — newspapers
  17. land — ground
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rule — a law
  20. roll — a cake
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. race — a contest
  24. patient — a sick person

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