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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cold — an illness
  23. club — for golf
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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