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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. drill — a practice
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — a publisher
  6. drill — army training
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mate — a friend
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. current — electric
  13. key — the most important part
  14. face — to confront
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. rule — a law
  21. key — in music
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. face — to point toward

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