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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rule — government
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — a song
  21. spring — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — to keep track
  24. spring — the season

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