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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — a contest
  5. charge — in control
  6. press — to push
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. race — the arms race
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — finally
  12. press — newspapers
  13. last — to go on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cell — a phone
  17. last — final
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — a price
  24. ball — a dance

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