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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. file — a document
  7. charge — in control
  8. swing — music
  9. track — a path
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — to keep track
  16. file — a tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mate — to breed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lean — thin
  22. charge — a price
  23. press — to push
  24. track — a song

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