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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: wound · present · squash · mate · spell · press · key · charge

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — to push
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mate — a friend
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — in music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — the time now
  12. key — the most important part
  13. present — there
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. charge — a price
  21. spell — magic
  22. charge — in control
  23. squash — to crush
  24. press — newspapers

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