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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: press · fan · charge · mouse · shower · sharp · key · stem

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — rain
  17. charge — a price
  18. shower — to wash
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — a publisher
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. charge — in control
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stem — of a plant

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