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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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. press — a publisher
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — to push
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. date — the fruit
  22. last — final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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