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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: press · charge · chest · present · fall · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — there
  5. chest — of your body
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — a box
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — newspapers
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. present — a gift
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wind — moving air

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