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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spell — letters
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. field — farmland
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — government
  11. press — to push
  12. spell — magic
  13. field — a subject
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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