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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — government
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — to handle
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. charge — in control
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. charge — a price
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bear — to put up with

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