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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: lean · cold · nail · track · press · stem · charge · ball

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — to push
  3. cold — not warm
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. track — a song
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. track — a path
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a dance
  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