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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — a face
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — a permit
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — electricity

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