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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: bore · press · snap · temple · charge · fork · land · pit

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. press — a publisher
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. land — a country
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fork — in a road
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — a price
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pit — a hole
  16. press — to push
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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