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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: mug · press · rush · spell · charge · swing

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — letters
  9. swing — in golf
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spell — a short time
  17. press — to push
  18. rush — hurry

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