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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.

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: fan · press · dip · nail · charge · game · arm · pop

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — to visit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — music
  7. game — a match
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — soda

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