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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.

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: fall · bear · mug · bass · plane · press · charge · cabinet

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — a price
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. mug — a face
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mug — to rob

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