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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. suit — to fit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chest — a box
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — of your body

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