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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — in control
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. press — to push
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. charge — a price
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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