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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: cell · charge · lie · band · drill · shower · root · press

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a ring
  3. lie — to recline
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. press — newspapers
  9. root — of a plant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. band — a music group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — to wash
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — of a word
  21. cell — in biology
  22. drill — the tool
  23. press — a publisher
  24. shower — rain

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