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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — in control
  7. stand — to bear
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. charge — a price
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — a phone
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — electricity

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