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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — a price
  4. press — to push
  5. cell — a phone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. firm — decided
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rush — hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — all right
  12. firm — steady
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — in control
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rush — to hurry

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