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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: wave · chip · cabinet · charge · bore · dip · press · can

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — to push
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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