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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · object · charge · kid · rest · mine · hand · net

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — in sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. object — to protest
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kid — to tease
  9. object — an aim
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — help
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. kid — child
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hand — in cards
  23. object — a thing
  24. charge — in control

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