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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — to push
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — a price
  14. kick — in football
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. capital — a big letter

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