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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. object — an aim
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — government
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — goods
  17. rule — a law
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. stock — shares

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