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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: mouse · charge · plane · kid · roll · press · saw · spring

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — a price
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. charge — in control
  14. roll — a cake
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. roll — a list
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — newspapers
  22. kid — to tease
  23. plane — a tool
  24. charge — electricity

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