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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · mate · rule · cell · dip · saw · lean · press

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cell — in biology
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — to push
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rule — government
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cell — a phone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. suit — in cards
  24. dip — to dunk

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