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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 · can · charge · ground · wake · deal · press · bear

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — newspapers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — a publisher

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