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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. toast — bread
  10. press — to push
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. field — farmland
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. field — a subject
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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