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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: press · wave · rule · bear · bat · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — to push
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — a law

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