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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
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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 · pass · rash · tube · file · press · coach · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. press — to push
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. pass — a permit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — happy
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — newspapers
  14. file — a document
  15. press — a publisher
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — a container
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — the amount

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