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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 120 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: press · charge · leaves · snap · rush · saw · degree · chest

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — a box
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — newspapers
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — a price
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chest — of your body
  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