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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: spell · chest · charge · fan · current · spring · kick · press

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. spring — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. current — happening now
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — a price
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. spell — magic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — letters
  15. current — electric
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — the season
  18. chest — a box
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. press — newspapers
  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