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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rule — a law
  24. root — of a word

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