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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — a price
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wake — a trail

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