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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: arm · field · wax · bound · staff · press · charge · spell

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. press — to push
  11. charge — electricity
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — certain
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — for sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bound — obliged

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