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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — to push
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — letters
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — a price
  24. spell — a short time

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