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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: kid · plane · cue · charge · cold · bore · press · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. press — to push
  3. charge — in control
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. charge — electricity
  14. plane — a tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — a price
  21. kid — child
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cold — an illness
  24. press — a publisher

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