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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: rock · rush · stick · press · spring · charge · tear · cue

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. charge — a price
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — a stone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rock — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. press — to push
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spring — of water

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