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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — a price
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — to protest
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rule — government
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rule — a law
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — a thing
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. press — to push
  20. cell — a phone
  21. object — an aim
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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