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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · fall · mug · bark · press · mate · pitcher · wind

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — the season
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — moving air
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. press — to push
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. charge — in control
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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