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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. branch — a division
  11. rule — a law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rule — government
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a document
  22. face — to confront
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stand — on your feet

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