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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — the earth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. band — a music group
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rule — a law
  22. press — to push
  23. band — a ring
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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