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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — a price
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. press — to push
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — of ice
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cap — a hat

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