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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: wake · row · hide · press · vault · kick · stem · charge

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. row — a line
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. vault — a safe
  8. charge — in control
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — to come from
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kick — in football
  17. press — to push
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. press — newspapers

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