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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. degree — temperature
  10. press — a publisher
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. face — to point toward
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rule — a law
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — government
  22. degree — an amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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