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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — of the year
  12. row — to paddle
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — to push
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fall — the season
  21. charge — in control
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — a line

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