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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. press — to push
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pound — a weight
  24. staff — a stick

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