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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — soda
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. press — to push
  18. race — a contest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. race — humankind
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. field — for 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