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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. press — newspapers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. straw — a straw man

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