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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
468
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: wave · charge · rock · net · toast · roll · press · wound

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — to push
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. press — newspapers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rock — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. roll — a list

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