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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mug — a face
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — in control
  8. kick — in football
  9. press — a publisher
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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