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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: can · charge · chair · lie · press · mouse · nail · band

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — a price
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — a publisher
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — the animal

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