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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. drill — a practice
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — in sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — a law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. sharp — clever
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — of a tree

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