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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. press — to push
  4. cell — a phone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. cap — of ice
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — a law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rule — government
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a face
  24. hide — animal skin

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