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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — government
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — a law
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — a series
  11. march — music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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