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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — a price
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. press — a publisher
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — newspapers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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