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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · face · dip · ruler · charge · patient

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — to confront
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to point toward
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. patient — a sick person

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