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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: cold · mark · can · spring · charge · press · nail · ground

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. charge — in control
  3. ground — the earth
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — a price
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — a publisher
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cold — an illness
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ground — a position
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — crushed
  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