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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a document
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. press — to push
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fork — in a road
  16. file — a tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — newspapers
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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