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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spring — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — a coil
  9. press — newspapers
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — music
  12. press — to push
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lean — thin
  22. march — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. march — the month

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