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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: press · hide · fan · deal · wound · can · cap · charge

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. press — newspapers
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — in control
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — a price
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. can — a tin

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