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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 120 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: cap · press · stick · firm · straw · charge · land · cabinet

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — ground
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — a price
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — to push
  11. land — a country
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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