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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: mouse · charge · saw · roll · bulb · press · ground · wind

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — a list
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wind — moving air

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