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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — in control
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. charge — a price
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — magic
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — thin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cell — a phone
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spell — letters
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. press — to push
  21. cell — in biology
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. staff — a stick
  24. temple — side of the head

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