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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ground — the earth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. press — to push
  13. current — of water
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — electric
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a document
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — in biology
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. press — newspapers
  24. file — a tool

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