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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bound — certain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — a price
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — a series
  13. pass — a permit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

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