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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. charge — a price
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — of your body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — to push
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chest — of your body
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — a box
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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