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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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Word bank
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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: arm · charge · cold · swing · press · lie · ruler · bulb

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — in control
  18. press — newspapers
  19. swing — to play on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — a price

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