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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. object — a thing
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pound — a weight
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. object — an aim
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. press — to push
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. press — newspapers
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. clip — a video
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — to bear

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