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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: fall · charge · trunk · stand · current · straw · staff · press

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — a publisher
  9. current — electric
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — to bear
  23. press — newspapers
  24. charge — a price

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