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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — newspapers
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. charge — a price
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — in control
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cell — in biology
  20. press — to push
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — hurry

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