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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. charge — a price
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. swing — to play on
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. press — to push
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — a young animal

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