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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mark — a grade
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — in control
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bark — to shout
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. file — a document
  24. ground — a position

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