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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — government
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bore — to tire
  13. press — a publisher
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. press — newspapers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bore — to drill

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