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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. press — to push
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — a price
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a dance
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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