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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — electricity
  6. march — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — the month
  13. press — newspapers
  14. net — in sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. net — after costs
  18. charge — a price
  19. fall — the season
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. charge — in control
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rule — government

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