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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — in control
  4. press — a publisher
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rest — a break
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — after costs
  9. chest — a box
  10. net — in sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. press — to push
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — a price
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — for catching
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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