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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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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mark — a grade
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kid — to tease
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. press — newspapers
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — a price
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — in control

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