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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. degree — from a university
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rule — government
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cell — a phone
  18. press — to push
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — a hat
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — for money

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