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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · press · arm · file · rule · pound · race · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. press — a publisher
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. press — to push
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rule — government
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — a contest
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. charge — electricity
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. arm — part of the body

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