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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 116 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — to push
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. suit — in cards
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — after costs
  24. press — newspapers

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