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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: charge · season · hand · scale · cell · temple · press · nail

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hand — help
  4. season — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — size or range
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cell — in biology
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. charge — a price
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. scale — in music
  19. season — of the year
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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