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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 · fan · club · arm · saw · pop · nail · charge

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. club — a group
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — a price
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. club — for golf
  18. pop — music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — to push
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. saw — the tool

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