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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — a publisher
  13. squash — the sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lie — to recline
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cold — an illness
  19. press — to push
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. board — a committee
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lie — an untruth

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