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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
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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: scale · bore · charge · wind · mine · nail · press · content

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. content — the amount
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — in music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — for digging
  16. charge — a price
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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