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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — the amount
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — a publisher
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. race — a contest
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kick — in football
  17. rule — government
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. race — humankind
  21. press — to push
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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