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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — a face
  4. rash — hasty
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rule — government
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rash — a series
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fine — high quality
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rule — a law
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — the fish
  24. press — newspapers

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