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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
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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: press · chest · band · craft · fine · wax · mate · charge

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — newspapers
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — a price
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. press — to push
  18. band — a music group
  19. wax — to grow
  20. band — a ring
  21. chest — a box
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chest — of your body

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