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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — letters
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — of water
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. press — to push
  21. rule — a law
  22. bound — certain
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — for measuring

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