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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rule — a law
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. scale — size or range
  13. press — newspapers
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. clip — a video
  20. rule — government
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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