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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: charge · shower · press · lean · present · coach · leaves · hide

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. present — a gift
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — thin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lean — to bend
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. press — a publisher
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. press — newspapers
  23. coach — a trainer
  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