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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rule — a law
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. press — to push
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. degree — an amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chest — a box
  16. toast — bread
  17. chest — of your body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rule — government
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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