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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — electricity
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. bound — certain
  6. charge — in control
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — in music
  24. press — a publisher

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