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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rule — government
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rule — a law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for golf
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. club — a group
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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