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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — to handle
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — in control
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. face — to confront
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — a publisher
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — obliged
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bound — tied together
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — a weight
  24. deal — a big deal

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