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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: court · ball · chest · charge · wind · press · rash · drill

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — to push
  5. rash — a series
  6. court — for sport
  7. chest — a box
  8. drill — army training
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of a king
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — of law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chest — of your body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wind — to turn a key

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