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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. march — the month
  3. face — to confront
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to point toward
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — rain
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ground — crushed
  22. press — a publisher
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — a law

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