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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. lean — thin
  7. press — to push
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — a price
  10. fall — the season
  11. face — part of the head
  12. game — wild animals
  13. face — to point toward
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to bend
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — to drop
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. face — to confront
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. trunk — of a tree

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