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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. present — a gift
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — letters
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — ground
  13. press — to push
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — to come down
  20. present — there
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. press — a publisher

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