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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — in cards
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cell — a phone
  11. net — after costs
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. net — for catching
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. vault — a safe
  17. shower — rain
  18. net — in sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cell — in biology
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. shower — to wash

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