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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a partner
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — to push
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. charge — a price
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — with an edge

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