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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. rule — government
  2. press — a publisher
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — magic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. press — to push
  20. spell — a short time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  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