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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. press — to push
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — a law
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pound — a weight
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rule — to rule out

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