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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of law
  3. charge — a price
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. charge — electricity
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — for sport

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