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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. march — the month
  7. press — newspapers
  8. march — the month
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — a skill
  20. press — to push
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — a price
  23. march — music
  24. charge — in control

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