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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. press — newspapers
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rule — government
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — in control
  10. press — to push
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rule — a law
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. land — a country
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. sharp — exactly

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