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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — in control
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a hat
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cap — of ice
  15. firm — steady
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — to push
  18. race — a contest
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. firm — a company
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — humankind

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