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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: charge · kick · fork · ruler · press · arm

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. charge — electricity
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. press — newspapers

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