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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 124 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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — to push
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a cake
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. date — the fruit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — a list
  24. squash — the sport

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