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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — a law
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rule — government
  10. object — a thing
  11. pit — in a race
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. press — to push
  19. object — an aim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. object — to protest
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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