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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — the amount
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — magic
  15. cell — a phone
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — a short time
  21. content — happy
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. press — to push

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