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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. cue — for pool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — a law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. drill — the tool
  24. press — to push

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