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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. season — of the year
  3. last — to go on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — government
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. season — in sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — finally
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — electric
  22. last — final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — newspapers

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