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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: charge · rest · stock · foot · press · mouse · suit · wind

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — shares
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. stock — goods
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. charge — in control
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rest — a break

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