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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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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: hide · face · cap · snap · press · key · charge · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cap — a lid
  10. press — to push
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kick — in football
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cap — a hat
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — for a lock
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — newspapers
  24. face — part of the head

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