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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rule — government
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rule — a law
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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