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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — a law
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. kick — in football
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — government
  15. object — to protest
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — low music
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — a thrill

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