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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. press — newspapers
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — a price
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — final
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. press — to push
  18. last — finally
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — to go on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cap — of ice

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