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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — finally
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — high quality
  14. last — to go on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fine — all right
  17. spell — letters
  18. press — newspapers
  19. last — final
  20. press — to push
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rule — government
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — an agreement

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