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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. charge — a price
  3. root — the cause
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. root — of a word
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lie — to recline

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