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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. charge — in control
  4. press — a publisher
  5. current — happening now
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. present — there
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — to push
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — the time now
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. press — newspapers
  23. current — of water
  24. wound — an injury

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