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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: bear · fall · bore · rest · spring · press · charge · kick

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — the season
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — the season
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. press — to push
  11. rest — a break
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spring — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bore — to tire

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