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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — magic
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — to push
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — in control
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — letters
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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