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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — a publisher
  10. face — part of the head
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — newspapers
  14. face — to confront
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — the season
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. press — to push

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