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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. toast — bread
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rule — a law
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. snap — to click
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — to push
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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