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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — government
  3. wake — a trail
  4. face — part of the head
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — a law
  7. mate — to breed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — a price
  11. face — to confront
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. charge — in control
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — to push
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. face — to point toward

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