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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — newspapers
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — to rip
  15. scale — size or range
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — a position
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. press — a publisher
  24. hide — animal skin

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