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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. press — a publisher
  5. drill — army training
  6. firm — decided
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. shower — to wash
  9. firm — a company
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. drill — a practice
  17. firm — steady
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — size or range
  20. press — to push
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. scale — in music

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