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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cell — in biology
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — a price
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. swing — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — to push
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. charge — in control
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bank — of a river

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