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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — a division
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pound — a weight
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — the time now
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — a gift
  24. shower — rain

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