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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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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: ruler · press · rule · nail · straw · fine · row · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. present — a gift
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — to push
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — the time now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — a publisher
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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