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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — a publisher
  4. face — to confront
  5. press — to push
  6. craft — a skill
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — newspapers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — part of the head
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. object — to protest

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