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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — a thing
  4. charge — a price
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ground — a position
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — electricity
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — high quality
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — to bear
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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