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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — a break
  8. last — to go on
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — crushed
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — a safe
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — final
  15. ground — a position
  16. present — there
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — finally
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rest — what's left
  24. press — to push

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