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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. face — to confront
  3. charge — in control
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. band — a ring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. press — a publisher
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. face — to point toward

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