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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
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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: mine · staff · wake · row · date · press · tube · charge

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — the underground
  9. row — to paddle
  10. date — the fruit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — in control
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. press — to push
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a line
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. date — on the calendar

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