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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: content · cue · press · hide · file · snap · wound · charge

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. content — happy
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — newspapers
  8. file — a document
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to click
  14. cue — a hint
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. press — a publisher
  17. charge — in control
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. press — to push

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