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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: suit · press · track · charge · last · cap · lie · rule

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — to fit
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — finally
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — a song
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. suit — clothes
  19. charge — in control
  20. last — to go on
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a hat

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