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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 120 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: trunk · patient · press · game · charge · hide

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. charge — a price
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — wild animals

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