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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — a division
  4. rule — government
  5. press — newspapers
  6. last — final
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — a container
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rest — a break
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — a law
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. tube — the underground
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wind — moving air

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