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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 124 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. press — to push
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — government
  13. march — the month
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. press — a publisher
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fine — high quality

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