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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rest — a break
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — electricity
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wake — before a funeral

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