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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. press — newspapers
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — to push
  13. charge — in control
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. deal — to handle
  17. press — a publisher
  18. key — the most important part
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rule — government
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rule — a law

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