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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.

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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: bear · mouse · game · press · lean · rock · net · charge

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. press — to push
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — a match
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — after costs

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